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Thanksgiving Day Prep | Food Photography

My beautiful wife spent Thanksgiving killing it in our kitchen. She's so talented, and the light was so enticing, I couldn't help but shoot some of her process. The prep images were captured at ISO 3200+ using window light, and the table shots were lit with a single speed light on 1/64th power. No modifier was needed, and I positioned my light opposite the camera angle to provide some shape and rim lighting. Her first attempt at a full Thanksgiving dinner alone, I'll chalk it up as a huge success!

Cheers Love.

amisha

Amisha Bhatt. Business extraordinaire and sharp as a tack. She's focused, driven, and resilient. I had the privilege of calling her a colleague for several years while living in the city of St. Louis, MO. This image was about eighteen months in the making, as life moved me in a whirlwind of directions. Thanks for your patience, Amisha.

Cheers.

Ryan Walters  |  Central New York Photographer

bre

This is Bre. We met up for an impromptu shoot on the outskirts on Indianapolis while I was road tripping from St. Louis to upstate New York. My direction for the shoot was that of a bohemian vagabond from the 1970's, and I think Bre pulled it off very well! There's some Janis Joplin soul in her swag, and I like it! Thanks for being game on such short notice!

Ryan Walters  |  Central New York Photographer

holly marie | ithaca farmer's market

On a recent location scout in Ithaca, NY, Holly and I discovered the Ithaca Farmer's Market. It was pouring down rain, so we were in search of a vacant, covered space to test some new gear and pull off a shoot in a pinch, if ever we were challenged to do so with a client. This space was inspiring! Constructed of old raw lumber, it must have been the length of a football fiield at least, and it provided endless possibilities. I was testing a new modifier with a speedlight for a lean and mean lighing kit in situations where I want to stay very light and mobile, but still have some lighting control over the environment. We were set up and shooting in a matter of minutes! Holly was gracious enough to endulge my expolration of the new kit, and we had a great time! It's been way too long since we did this sort of thing together, and I miss it. She was stellar, beautiful, and willing to let go and just have fun. The shoot yielded several memorable images, but this one is my favorite.

Ryan Walters | Central New York Photographer

brother

This is my brother. He accompanied me on a recent portrait project and stood in for my test shot. I'm not able to publish the images we captured just yet, but I'm excited about this project! A book should result from it in the coming months. Thanks for your help, man!

Ryan Walters  |  St. Louis Photographer

place of legends | monument valley

Tim Kotthoff. You've seen him here before. I've written about his extraordinary gifts as a video editor, a mentor, and a teacher. In May of 2011, we took to the road on a quest to conquer The American West with cameras. Maybe it was the mountain air, or maybe the ghosts of legends like John Ford, Henry Fonda, and John Wayne who walked here before us, but in the midst of the desert, most notably in Monument Valley, I watched this man come of age as a photographer. And he has the work to prove it. His black and white prints hang gracefully throughout the halls and offices of a St. Louis marketing agency, and they bring an epic element to the space. This shot most successfully communicates the triumph and grandeur I witnessed out there. We're going back. Soon.

Ryan Walters  |  St. Louis Photographer + Cinematographer

the gem

On a recent location scout for a music video with none other than the legendary, Gary Winchester, we came across an abandoned movie theater that looked promising for what we had in mind. Not wanting to miss an oportunity for some great images, Gary jumped out on a mission to find a way inside. It wasn't long before this "Here's Johnny" moment presented itself, and I fired one frame from the car. Obviously, he was pleased with his success, and the images that resulted were as epic as that grin!

Ryan Walters  |  St. Louis Photographer + Cinematographer